


In Your Heart We Burn

by axolotlNerd



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Strange Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 21:17:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11471844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axolotlNerd/pseuds/axolotlNerd
Summary: Watch as I give a dead guy community service for life.





	In Your Heart We Burn

The war is finally over. 

Our soldiers by now have all returned home, greeting their husbands and wives and children with joy. There is no more Dark King for them to fight, but I am sure duty will call them again.

The wars started a good decade ago, when travelling civilians were imprisoned by the Dark King of the Western Kingdom. We came simply to get the people home, have a trial for their crimes in the kingdom they were residents of, the Sunrise Kingdom.

Yet, the Dark King would not allow it. He said that if we wanted our people back, we would have to give him the entirety of the Autumnlands, a land filled with good hunting and even better farming land.

"Fuck that," I said to my advisers when they gave me the news. As queen of the Sunrise kingdom, it is my duty to decide where land goes, and I would be damned if I gave them our best source of food over these trivial turnip thieves.

The Dark King declared war. And, after a long battle, I found myself face to face with him on the front lines.

"This battle is futile!" He shouted, sword in hand. Yet, he was fool enough to leave his shield at home. "If I can not claim these hunting grounds, I shall kill you and claim your kingdom as my own!"

We had a proper duel. And I won.

"So let us celebrate!" My ambassador Josephine called out from the balcony of the ballroom, where all began cheering and drinking.

Though when she turned to me, she had a much less joyful look on her face. She looked almost embarrassed.

"Your Majesty, I know judging prisoners is your least favorite thing to do-"

"Since when did we have prisoners? We thought we sent them back home once the war ended." Though some had opposed the thought of not punishing them, I would not allow it. They were mere pawns in a battle we had already won, after all.

"We do not have any prisoners currently," Josephine continued. "But the Dark King's successor, Prince Luthias, has asked us to judge someone, as he believes this person deserves... A fair trial."

Josephine seemed unsettled by her own words, almost regretting to say them as soon as they came out of her mouth. I simply nodded. 

"So be it. If His Highness Prince Luthias wishes this person to have a fair trial, consider it done. We shall judge them after the ball."

The party had been a normal one; full of gossip, my spymaster Leilani talking about the ridiculous jewel encrusted slippers Lord Gaspard was wearing and our Knight-Captain simply drinking his social anxiety away.

But when the ball ended, and I sat in my throne to judge this stranger, I did not expect what I was presented with.

A box.

"What is this?" I asked. Josephine coughed, and looked at her feet.

"This is the Dark King, Your Majesty" She said, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"The Dark King is dead! We killed him with our very own sword!" 

"Yes, Your Majesty, but his son demands he have a fair trial." Josephine said. She took in a deep breath before turning to the scroll she held. "The Dark King, informally know as Joseph Christensen VIII, has been charged with the false imprisonment of Sunrise Kingdom civilians, torture and blackmail of both our and his own allies, and murder in the first degree. How does he plea?"

The box remained silent.

Josephine coughed uncomfortably before continuing. "If the defendant will not stand, we shall claim his plea to be guilty. Your Majesty, how do you find him?" 

"How shall he be punished?"

I turned to Josephine, fire in my eyes. With the voice of a thousand damned souls, I spoke. 

"The Dark King  _and_  the box he resides in shall be living out the rest of their days cleaning out courtyard. Dismissed."


End file.
